(photograph taken in Gellerup, Aarhus, June 2020)
SALAM HABIBI
By Yahya Hassan (2013)
JEG SNITTEDE EN TRÆPIND I SKOLEN
DA EN LÆRER RAKTE MIG DEN TELEFON
DE ALTID RINGEDE TIL MIN FAR MED
HVAD HAR JEG NU GJORT SPURGTE JEG
OG TOG TELEFONEN OP TIL ØRET
MEN DET VAR MOR
HUN SAGDE AT HUN VAR REJST VÆK
JEG BEGYNDTE AT GRÆDE I VÆRKSTEDSSKURET
AFTENEN FØR BLEV VI SENDT IND I STUEN
DØREN TIL SOVEVÆRELSET BLEV LUKKET
LYDE BAG DØREN OG ET KIG GENNEM NØGLEHULLET
MOR MED EN LEDNING OM HALSEN
JEG REV DØREN OP OG HAN TOG SIT BÆLTE AF
JEG HAVDE JO FÅET BESKED PÅ AT BLIVE I STUEN
SALAM HABIBI
I WAS CARVING A WOODEN STICK IN SCHOOL
WHEN A TEACHER HANDED ME THAT TELEPHONE
THEY ALWAYS RANG MY FATHER WITH
WHAT I HAVE DONE NOW I ASKED
AND BROUGHT THE TELEPHONE TO THE EAR
BUT IT WAS MOTHER
SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD GONE AWAY
I BEGAN TO CRY IN THE WORKSHOP-SHED
THE EVENING BEFORE WE WERE SENT TO THE LIVING ROOM
THE DOOR TO THE BEDROOM WAS CLOSED
SOUNDS BEHIND THE DOOR AND A PEEK THROUGH THE KEYHOLE
MOTHER WITH A CORD AROUND HER THROAT
I TORE THE DOOR OPEN AND HE TOOK HIS BELT OFF
I HAD ALREADY BEEN TOLD TO REMAIN IN THE LIVING ROOM.
More Yahya Hassan translations available here:
Comments